HELPTSD aims to strengthen the collective resilience of the teams that participate in its processing sessions through a series of empowerment and team-building gatherings that are not framed as therapeutic. These meetings take place approximately once a year with each team, both as a group and individually. The clear goal is to convey a strong message — HELPTSD is a lifelong support system and family, not just a one-time response in moments of need.
The organization operates in a variety of settings with breathtaking landscapes, one of which is Rashi Winery, owned by Eliyahu Shimoni, a soldier in the Givati Brigade’s support unit and the owner of the venue, in partnership with Attorney Sivan Yosef Salame.
Read more about the farm and Eliyahu here
To launch these gatherings at the winery, we hosted several members of the Paz Team for a team-building event alongside members of the organization, Eliyahu, and Ilan Maor — the father of Captain Itay Maor (of blessed memory), who joined us for the second time. (For a glimpse into our first meeting with Ilan in memory of his son, click here).
So what did we have?
We arrived early at the winery, located near Zikhron Ya’akov, to prepare and set up the space. We arranged Leesh (a natural fruit strip snack, generously donated once again by Grooper), local black grapes, tastings of fine wine crafted by Eliyahu, and refreshments on the tables.
Representing the organization were Dekel Tzur — CEO, Eitan Feldman — Operations Manager, Eden Shalev — Head of the Individual Support Program, Noa Weisman — a social worker who is gradually joining Eden in supporting the program, and Paz Sabag — whom we initially came to know as our point of contact at Grooper, who has continuously supported us, and who has recently joined the organization as our new Marketing Manager.
When members of the Paz Team arrived, accompanied by Aharon Efraimov — a team member who recently joined us as a volunteer (after being called up for reserve duty) — we gathered for an intimate and inspiring conversation over traditional black coffee with Ilan Maor.
And why black coffee, you may ask? The late Itay Maor, of blessed memory, believed in living a simpler kind of life — returning home, putting aside all devices and technology, and heading out with friends for a traditional coffee in the field, nurturing genuine, face-to-face connections without screens.
Ilan shared stories about his son’s values and inner strength, about finding the courage to rise each morning and continue forward even in the face of difficulty, and about his belief that this is the right way to honor his memory — not through sorrow, even though it is far from simple. He spoke about his important advocacy work and distributed stickers featuring empowering messages and insights from Itay, who fell while defending the Gaza border communities on October 7th. He left behind a meaningful legacy, which Ilan and his family continue to carry forward every day.
We continued looking ahead
It had been quite some time since we last met with the Paz Team, and it was a pleasure to present to these soldiers — who fought bravely and completed our processing program — the organization’s current activities, the new people who have joined, and everything that has evolved since the beginning of the Iron Swords War, as our previous meeting with the team had taken place prior to it.
At the opening of the gathering, Dekel spoke about his role as CEO and shared how meaningful it was to reunite with his teammates. Dekel, who served as a deputy company commander in the Paratroopers Reconnaissance Unit during Operation Protective Edge, was the one who originally encouraged the team to go through the process with us. Today, together with Aharon, who has also begun volunteering with the organization, he continues to strengthen the deep sense of connection and family between this close-knit group and HELPTSD.
Following this, Eitan and Eden shared the organization’s remarkable growth since the start of the current war. Eitan spoke about the challenges he encountered as Operations Manager during such an unprecedented period, the new responses and solutions that had to be developed accordingly, the expanding volunteer team of over 50 individuals from across the country, and his introduction to Eden — less than a month after everything began on that Saturday.
Eden then shared her personal journey within the organization, which began with providing telephone support to several soldiers in need of someone to listen and contain their experiences. She spoke about being injured herself during her service — a reality that helps her deeply understand the perspective of those she supports — and how, over time, this evolved into a comprehensive support network that she now leads with pride. Noa has since joined her, in response to the many requests received both for support and for volunteering — a reflection of a society that continues to show up, extend a hand, and demonstrate mutual responsibility.
Additional information about the organization’s support network can be found here
Just before the end of the successful evening
At just the right moment, Shlomi — Talia’s father, a new volunteer in the organization — joined us and treated everyone to a generous amount of sushi, making sure no one would enjoy the excellent wine on an empty stomach before the drive home. We would like to take this opportunity to once again extend our heartfelt thanks to Shlomi and Talia, who modestly asked not to have their last name mentioned, and who continue to support us in many other projects as well — we are truly fortunate to have them with us.
After the meal and before parting ways, we emphasized to the team members — as well as to Eliyahu, our host, who himself has served extensively in reserve duty recently — that we are always here for anything, at any time, and that our work goes far beyond “just treatment.” We also shared that we would be glad to have them join us, just as Aharon and Dekel have, in encouraging more soldiers to take part in a meaningful process with us, drawing from their own experience and close personal familiarity.
We would also like to acknowledge Eli Abutbul, Head of the Zikhron Ya’akov Local Council, and Uri Buskila, Chair of the Regional Planning and Building Committee “Baron Settlements”, for their support of the winery and their significant assistance to Eliyahu in his remarkable project. And of course, we thank Lior Levi, Chair of the organization, for his continued support of our activities.
They say wine improves with time — so we’re already looking forward to our next gathering at the winery!
